Bill Zito (left), President of Hockey Operations & General Manager, speaks as he introduces the newly-acquired Florida Panthers’ forward Brady Tkachuk, during a press conference at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, on Tuesday June 23, 2026.
Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
As has been the case the past few years, the Florida Panthers had a quiet first day of the NHL draft. The Panthers have dealt away each of their first-round picks the past five years (and for the next three years) to build up their core that has turned them into perennial Stanley Cup contenders.
This time around, their first-round pick (No. 9 overall, plus the No. 25 overall pick they acquired from the Seattle Kraken and another first-round pick in 2029) went to the Ottawa Senators for star forward Brady Tkachuk.
They were a little busier on the draft front on Saturday.
Florida made six selections, picking four forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender to add to their pipeline.
All of the selections are expected to be in South Florida on Monday, when Florida holds its four-day development camp at the Baptist Health IcePlex.
Here is a quick look at each of Florida’s picks.
2 (40): Forward Simas Ignatavicius
The Lithuanian forward played for Geneve-Servette HC last year, producing 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in Switzerland’s highest hockey league as an 18-year-old.
According to Elite Prospects, he “brings solid straight-line speed and combines that with smart angling, good stick placement, and a strong physical presence.”
Ignatavicius was ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman; No. 35 by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler; and No. 42 by ESPN. He’s ranked the No. 10 overall international skate by NHL’s Central Scouting.
He is just the third Lithuanian player ever selected in the NHL draft, joining Dainius Zubrus and Darius Kasparaitis.
2 (48): Center Ryder Cali
Cali, 18, has size at 6-2 and 218 pounds. He played for North Bay in the Ontario Hockey League last year, producing 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 47 games.
He was viewed as a near-consensus top-50 prospect.
“A man amongst boys and capable of clever tricks, Cali continuously showed NHL upside this season,” according to Elite Prospects.
Cali is committed to play college hockey at Providence College.
The Panthers have prioritized size so far in the draft.
4 (98): Defenseman Jonas Kemps
The 18-year-old checks in at 6-6 and 195-pounds. He’s a left-handed shooting defenseman. He played for the Chicago Steel of the USHL last season, is slated to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League next season and then go to Michigan State.
“Mobile with seemingly endless reach, Kemps denies access to the defensive zone,” reads his Elite Prospects scouting report. “When beaten, it’s usually only momentarily because he just reaches back and knocks the puck away. With possession, he looks for outlets across the rink and has the skill to get pucks through a layer or two.”
6 (168): Forward Vilho Vanhatalo
Vanhatalo checks in at 6-3 and 194 pounds. He played for Tappara’s U20 team last year in Finland, logging 19 points in 38 games. He was also on Finland’s roster for the World Juniors, scoring one goal in five games played.
He was a near consensus top-100 prospect, including ranked No. 16 among European skaters by NHL central scouting, so the Panthers got some value here.
“Vanhatalo has the ideal power forward frame combined with projectable quickness and footspeed, along with a powerful shot,” reads his Elite Prospects scouting report.
6 (181): Forward Cole Zurawski
The 6-1, 188-pound winger had 48 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 63 games for OHL Owen Sound last season. Zurawski is slated to play at Notre Dame next season.
“A determined Zurawski is a problem for opposing teams,” reads his Elite Prospects scouting report. “He’s a powerful, deep skater who powers past opponents, then slingshots the puck towards the net.”
7 (217): Goaltender Louis-Antoine Denault
Roberto Luongo and Co. with the Panthers’ Goaltending Excellence Department get their annual pick to close out the Panthers’ draft class
Denault is another towering presence at 6-8 and 210 pounds. He split time between Quebec and Newfoundland in the QMJHL last season, posting a .912 save percentage across 42 games (17 for Quebec, 25 for Newfoundland).
And the Panthers already have a pretty good idea about what he brings to the table. He was in the team’s development camp last year and took part in the prospect tournament in August.
This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 10:30 AM.
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Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.